Sunday, August 29, 2010

Scared, nervous, hopeful, saying prayers, bracing ourselves, thankful that
Al drove from Pensacola and got Grandma out of there before she hit.
By this time we were in the living room watching in horror.

She wasn't supposed to be this bad and then the levee broke.

Nothing could have prepared us for what came.

We sat up all night and for days and days after just staring as we watched what we knew
would change our lives and our families lives forever.
We knew we had lost something more than the homes and things.

We would never be able to rebuild the generation Katrina took from us. They died of broken hearts.

Today I say this. Home is a place that no matter how many miles and time that passes. Your family welcomes you back and you just feel right. NOLA will always be worth fighting for. I am proud to call it home, because it is my heart. Sometimes when I look at Jackson I ache. I wanted to Grandma to know him. She loved B. She would have loved our boy too. Oh, we visit her old home.

We touch the palm tree that sits in the front yard and we remember.

We remember what it was like to go home and be within a 5 mile radius of the family.
It isn't the same but, I am thankful I have a family who still carries that spirit we felt
when things were the way they were before her.

There is nothing like Uncle Johnny singing the second line.

He does it at every happy event. I wish I knew how to upload the cassette

tape to my blog so you could hear his voice singing it.

It is magic.

It is good for our souls.

This is for what we lost and what we are thankful we still have.
I have the best family in the world. If you met them you would agree.

This will have to do for now. It just feels right.

We shall never forget because remembering what was is still so beautiful.
xoxo ra

Thursday, August 26, 2010

I need to wear jeans and t-shirts. For college football to start again. For our weekends to be filled with early saturday mornings at the football field watching our girl cheer and cookouts with friends.

Monday, August 23, 2010

There is a Flea Market about 4 miles from my house that I have never been to.

Daddy and Jackson had a boys afternoon yesterday. So, Nanny and I adventured to the local flea market to see what it was all about. To say it was interesting was an understatement. We both found a treasure or two to bring home but, most of our time was spent giggling at what we found.

Let me take you along for the ride.

First off the collections of salt and pepper shakers.

I mean there were probably a hundred different types.

These were my favorite two.

#1. The toilet set.

I mean what says "let's eat dinner" like red potty's?

#2 The Feet.

Again, man those huge toes make me hungry.

{I think I just threw up even typing that}

The fun only started there.

Vintage Games

This empty 90210 bottle was $25!

Now I LOVED 90210 like every other girl in the 90's but, it's empty and rusty. $25!

This guy I have fond childhood memories with.

Anyone else have a Teddy growing up?

I would have *almost* considered it for Jackson if the whole bedbug

thing didn't skeeve me out so bad.

I had Nanny try these beauties on.

What fall closet doesn't need it's own pair of clogs.

Ok, this booth I loved. My grandma had some of this plastic jewelry.

After Katrina it was all lost so this pretty came home with me for the price of $1.25.

It makes me smile.

Now who doesn't want to stick

cookies in this guy...

Creepy.

Ahh, you guys.

This was my favorite thing we saw.

I love Rod Stewart.

I will refrain from making a song themed joke but, holy mother of hand drawn sexy Rod Stewart

and for the low price of $5 in this lovely floral frame

this can come live at your house.

and just so things come full circle.

I will end where we started this little tour.

Now where would you put these little potty's?

Not to mention the creepy dolls with mouths open. :/

I hope you all enjoyed our flea market trip and at the very least got a laugh.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Saturday during the day we went to Papa and Nuna's. Jackson got to feed the cow's with Papa,

ride on the Gator and play with his cousin's. He had so much fun jumping on the trampoline with the big kids. I love to catching up with Nuna. She is so sweet, I just love being with her.

She has always made me feel apart of the family.

This picture was taken from Daddy's facebook, my camera was dead at this point.

He thought the cows were pretty funny.

He is still taking about the big cows today.

Then we headed up to Nana and Grandpa's and played with Hayden. Grandpa has a Harley and Jackson is in LOVE with motorcycles right now. All he wanted to do was sit on the bike. The boy's love riding toy's in the driveway and Hayden has become quite the pro at pedaling since our last visit.

So much fun to watch these boys together, they are 6 months apart and have the best time.

We all went to a water park up where they live.

Their faces crack me up in this one.

He loved this waterfall and his boat. It was where he stayed most of the time.